Maanaadu review: "Masala infused theme that is both hilarious & entertaining!!!"

How often have we seen the hero die in Tamil movies? Hmm...well very rarely & if at all it did, it would have created a ruckus among the fans. As the urban legend goes, Rajini's character's death in "Thalapathi" was unacceptable to the masses & Mani Ratnam had to change the climax in which the Superstar survives. But in a recent interview, the legendary director brushed aside those claims & stated that the climax was never changed at all. So in that case, how will it be if another bonafide star is shown in a similar manner in Venkat Prabhu's "Maanaadu". Perplexed by what I said, I wouldn't be surprised if you were as this was a movie that married an interesting theme with our mainstream cinema. 

Abdul Khaaliq (STR) was flying down from Dubai to help his buddy, Eeswara (Premgi) elope with his lover who was tying the knot against her wishes. On the flight he gets acquainted with Seethalekshmi (Kalyani Priyadarshan) & offers her to join him as they were both going to the same event. However, Abdul & his friends couldn't work out their plan as expected as they were forced into a chase which eventually led to an unexpected accident. Soon enough, the police turned up & took them into custody, but offered to give them a clean chit if Abdul cooperated with the task that they had for him. 

I have always been a huge fan of Venkat Prabhu since his debut venture "Chennai 600028", as I found it more often than not thoroughly entertaining. In his latest venture, Venkat decided to take up the topic of time loop that is fresh in many of our minds thanks to LJP. Even as LJP has moved on to his next project "Nanpakal Nerethu Mayakkam" with Mammookka, the audience is still stuck in the maze of "Churuli" with each one of us having our own theories as to what did he actually try to convey. Well Venkat has taken a concept similar to what we have observed in "Edge of Tomorrow" etc. (STR's character utters the long list in the movie itself). Im not going to harp about logic here as it didn't make much sense with regard to how STR & Suryah got involved in it but the manner in which Venkat has taken it deserves praise as it was both entertaining & hilarious. 

Kudos to Praveen K L whose editing is the soul of this movie as it ensured that the pace is apt & the transition from scene to scene was smooth considering how rapidly it kept changing. This is where Venkat's screenplay played a big part as it made sure that though essentially some of the sequences looked similar, it still offered something different. Richard nathan's visuals were fine while Yuvan Shankar Raja's BGM was top notch.

It might have been packaged as a STR movie, but S J Suryah was an absolute scream as he showcased the eccentricity of the character impressively without going overboard. The manner in which his character get changed as the flick progresses was spot on. STR is a capable artist for sure but more than not he indulges in projects that barely tap his capabilities. Hence it was a good experience watching him in a role that at times shows him play second fiddle to Suryah with elan. As for the rest of the cast, Y G Mahendran & Kalyani was fine while others barely had much screen space. 

Verdict: It's not a movie that we would make sense to our logic but it offers a whole entertaining experience which is typical of a Venkat Prabhu project. In short, check it out!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Satyameva Jayate 2 review : "Truth is even mediocrity might seem like an inadequate word!!!"

The first thought that would have skittered across many of you, would be as to why I bothered to pen my opinion about this movie. For starters, this is not a sequel though there was a similar titled one from the same cast & crew, which I felt was worser than a migraine. Even though I havent watched the trailer, I still had a fair bit of idea as to what I was in for; but I presumed it might be marginally better. However, I was in for a rude shock as it felt like I was still stuck in "Churuli's" time loop & this was just a deja vu moment.

Satya Balram Azad (John Abraham) is the Home Minister in UP who is loved by the masses for his constant effort to curb corruption. However, his attempt to introduce an anti-corruption bill in the assembly was slammed even by his own party. Apparently, this spurred Satya to don the cape of a vigilante and take on the corrupt system. Even though his actions were applauded by the public, CM  Chandra Prakash (Harsh Chhaya) wasn't keen on having an outlaw on the loose & entrusts the task of bringing the culprit to Satya's twin brother, DCP Jay.

From whatever I have described in the above paragraph itself would have reminded you of movies of the 80s. In fact if you thought so, you are spot on as it the tried & tested formula of twin brothers, fight against the system, nationalism that cries itself out hoarse, religious symbolism, revenge drama etc & oh yes, a mother in coma who gets up in the end to reveal some secrets. In all probability, Milap Zaveri must have been in a similar state or else why would he come up with a script that doesnt have an ounce of freshness or sensibility in it. None of the technical aspects nor performances are worth mentioning & that includes John Abraham in a triple role. 

Verdict: Nothing much to say, except that it is damn pathetic!!!

Rating: 0.5/5 

Regards...Ben

Ellam Sheriyakum review: "Screenplay was far from alright!!!"

Whenever we talk about light hearted political satire, one of the movies that comes to mind is Jibu Jacob's "Vellimoonga" & hence when the trailer of "Ellam Sheriyakum" hit the screens, there was a palpable sense of expectation. However, this time around he decided to indulge in an emotional drama that dealt with politics and the impact it had on family relations. The title reminds us of the tagline coined by Maitri Advertising Works for the LDF's successful campaign in 2016. So will it be equally successful for Jibu & his team???

K V Chacko (Siddique) is the party president & most powerful leader in the ruling UPF party. Even as the public & party members respected and feared him, all was far from well at his home. A few years back, his daughter, Ancy (Rajisha Vijayan) had eloped with Vineeth (Asif Ali), an active youth wing activist of the opposition & since then Chacko had cut all ties with them. However, things take a turn when he was hospitalized as it paved the path for a possible reconciliation between the father & daughter. So what kind of an impact will it have on the political climate???

With his latest venture, he takes up the topic of politics yet again but the treatment of the subject was quite unlike "Vellimoonga". The script was penned by Sharis Mohammed & the primary issue with it was the urge to include every political issue that has happened in the recent past. Even after touching upon them, none of them were developed & invariably all of them had a hasty conclusion including the one that had Balu Varghese which was supposed to be a major incident. Seemed like they had no clue as to what kind of an image they wanted to give Asif's character with at one time he is that boisterous party worker & at other times, a rather meek one.

Incidentally this was Ousepechan's 200th movie as a music director & some of the tracks were fine, though the one that stood out was his performance as an actor which was ok.. Time & again, Siddique has proved that he is one the finest artists that we have in the industry & over here as well, it was no different. Both Asif & Rajisha were average at best while Indrans (didnt have a single dialogue) Balu & Johny Antony did their parts aptly.

Verdict: There is no doubt that the movie didnt match expectations considering it was Jibu's movie & also the return of Asif & Rajish as a pair that worked like a charm in "Anuraga Karikkin Vellam". In short, more attention was required on the screenplay as it tried to stuff with as much as incidents as possible. In the process, it lacked focus & the core topic wasnt treated in a much more impactful manner!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben 

Dhamaka review: "Reduces to a whimper after a point of time!!!"

A couple of months back, Netflix Tudum announced ten new projects in 'India Spotlight'' & among the trailers that were showcased, Ram Madhvani's "Dhamaka" caught my eye apart from our Basil Joseph's "Minnal Murali". Apparently, the shooting of the whole movie was wrapped up in just 10 days & it is the official remake of the Kim Woo's Korean movie "The Terror Live". The trailer promised it to be a suspense thriller & certainly had the vibe that it would keep the audience on the edge of their seats. So does it manage to stay true to its name???

Arjun Pathak (Kartik Aaryan), one of the most prominent news anchor in the media world was at a low point in my life both personally & professionally. His marriage was on the rocks & he was asked to take up the role of a radio jockey after he was pulled out from his primetime TV slot due to an unpleasant issue. Life moved on uneventfully for the demotivated & jaded Arjun, until he received a random call at his radio station that threatened to blow up the Bandra Worli Sea Link. He dismissed it as a prank call but to his dismay, the caller proved to be true to his word. However, rather than informing the police, he saw it as an opportunity to resurrect his career. So does he manage to save the day for the city & his career???

Ram Madhvani rose to fame with "Neerja" which was awarded the Best Feature Film in Hindi at the 64th National Fil awards. He followed it up with the web series "Aarya" that was nominated for the International Emmy Awards in the Best Drama series category. In his latest venture, he collaborated with Puneet Sharma to remake the Korean thriller, which seemed like a sensible decision after all it had a story that was relatable to the Indian media madhouse. The cut throat competition, the greed for TRPs at any cost & the utter disregard for media ethics has been captured well. But after the initial thrill, it fails to sustain it as the proceedings turned out to be rather amateurish be it in the manner in which ATS handles the situation, the storm that builds up in the newsroom & the eventual grand reveal of the 'caller'. Manu Anand captures the tension of the situation neatly & even the VFX team has done a praise worthy job. 

Coming to performances, Karthik has done justice to his part especially in the portion where he is wasted & irresponsible. However, as the story moves along with his character required to show as emotionally torn; it didnt come across as convincing. Mrunal as his estranged wife, Soumya did her part aptly along with Amruta Subhash who as the hard headed boss, Ankita was spot on. As for the rest of the cast, the 'caller' turned out to be pretty mediocre while the others were average at best.

Verdict: After starting off in an engaging manner, it eventually fizzles out with hardly a whimper. It was a premise which could have been well crafted after all it isn't alien to us. In short, could have been far better!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

Lalbagh review: "Fails to sustain the attention of the audience!!!"

Bangalore (I still prefer calling it that), a city in which I have spent close to 8 years of my life has played a significant role in my personal & professional life. Hence, whenever a Malayalam movie is picturized in the Garden City; it kind of gives me an additional motivation to check it out. One such movie released last week & it happened to be Prashanth Murali's "Lalbagh". From the looks of it, it seemed like a stylishly shot murder mystery flick. But apart from the visuals, does it manage to engage the audience???

Tom (Sijoy Varghese) & Sarah (Mamta Mohandas) along with their daughter led a happily married & affluent life in the cosmopolitan city. But Sarah was in for a rude shock, when Tom was found dead on the couch the morning after his daughter's birthday bash. Police Officer Ganesh Hegde (Rahul Dev Shetty) was in charge of proceedings & prima facie, it seemed like a suicide. However, his instincts told him that there was more to the case than what met the eye. His prime suspects included Sarah, Tom's friends & co-workers who had stayed on for much longer after the rest of the guests had left. His hunch was certainly on the right track as it became evident that a few of them had motivation, though it was hard to pinpoint.

This was Prasanth's second directorial venture after "Paisa Paisa" & over here, he has blended family drama along with the investigation procedure which certainly was a smart move. The manner in which those portions were kept us engaged & for authenticity, this segment primarily had conversations in Kannada or English. Since I do understand a fair bit of the language it was ok, but I believe that could have hampered the viewing experience for many unfamiliar with the language due to the lack of subtitles. On the technical side, Antony Jo's visuals were impressive in capturing the urban milieu as well as the indoor shots. Another aspect that stood out was Rahul Raj's music that was in sync with the mood. But the actual case fails to engage as it felt rather shallow & the twists didn't come across as unexpected. Coming to performances, Mamta Mohandas was an apt choice to play this character but she wasnt as convincing in the emotional sequences. Even Sijoy was pretty average but both Rahul Dev & Rahul Madhav did justice to their parts. As for the rest of the cast, they were average at best.

Verdict: Felt like a movie that could have been far better but the narrative didnt quite have the impact that would have engaged the audience. Despite the fact that it had a run time of just about 100 mins, it felt much longer than that & whenever that happens, it isn't a great sign. In short, a failed opportunity!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Aaha review: "Had much more scope to make the audience scream aaha louder & longer!!!"

As Malayalis, there will hardly be anyone who isn't aware about the 'vadam vali malsaram' or tug-of-war. It is an integral part of many of our festivities with Onam obviously topping the list. But not many of us would know that there are more than a thousand registered teams & roughly 600 tournaments are held in a year in our state. This clearly shows the lack of media coverage that this sport richly deserves. Incidentally, this is the premise for Bibin Paul Samuel's "Aaha" which is inspired from Aha Neloor, one of the most decorated teams to ever grace the sport. Since sports drama is one of my favourite genre, I didn't have to think twice to check it out. 

Aha Neloor was at the end of their annual campaign & needed to win just one more tournament to claim the enviable record of being unbeaten. Geevichan Aashan (Manoj K Jayan) & his team headlined by the star player Kochu (Indrajith) breezed through the league phase as expected. But destiny had other plans as the hot favourites crashed out in the finals on the back of Kochu's mistake. This was the beginning of the end of Aha & it took more than two decades for it to be revived when Ani (Amith Chakalakkal) and his friends decided to take it up. But will it be able to match the lofty standards that Aha had set in the past???

This is Bibin Paul's directorial debut & he deserves praise along with Tobit Chirayath for choosing a subject that hasn't been explored much. The biggest bane of this genre is the predictability since more often than not the underdogs will end up as Champions. In such a scenario it's imperative that the character arc of the main artists are well established, so that the audience will connect with them emotionally & eventually root for them towards the end. To Tobit's credit, he has certainly tried that by showcasing the problems that quite a few of them faced but to be frank, apart from Kochu's & the Bengali's, the others didn't quite have the depth. However, the vadam vali sequences were thrilling & the BGM certainly did its part in such portions. 

I personally believe that Indrajith is one of the most versatile artists among the 'relatively' younger generation, though he hasnt got consistent opportunities to showcase it. As Kochu, he was fantastic as the older avatar where he was able to make us feel the pain that his character was going through. Ashwin as Chenkan was impressive & so was Manoj K Jayan, but both of them had very limited screen time. As for the rest of the cast, Amith, the Bengali guy & Santhy Balachandran (as Mary) were fine while the others did their parts aptly.

Verdict: There is no doubt that the movie had moments which was thrilling but it was a thread that had the scope to be explored more. Some of the characters such as Chenkan, Geevichan Aashan could have been further developed and the trauma that some of the present members are going through should have been fleshed out properly. In short, a decent one time though it could have been much better!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

Churuli review: "Bizarre, intriguing & confusing in equal measure!!!"

A week since "Kurup" released & it has undeniably given the Malayalam film industry a much needed lease of life with the thunderous response that it received from the audience. Even as more producers lined up to showcase their wares on the big screen, Lijo Jose Pellissery opted to stick on with OTT & released his latest venture "Churuli" on Sony LIV. Interestingly, the movie was released yday which also happened to be International Men's Day & from the trailer it seemed like masculinity might take center stage yet again. The movie was appreciated at the International Film Festival of Kerala in March of this year where it won the best film award in the audience poll & LJP also won special mention for best director in the international film competition. Well the title & trailer gave ample indications that we were in for a different cinematic experience, but I (& presumably, most) certainly didn't expect what it eventually offered. 

The movie unfolds with Kalpatta Narayanan's poem on the Lord of Time which is considered as the plight of the mouse in the grip of the cat. This is followed by a fable in which a Thirumeni goes in search of the Perumadan (phantom) who was leading everyone astray. The camera zooms in to two undercover cops, Antony (Chemban Vinod) & his subordinate, Shajivan (Vinay Fort) who was off to a remote village in the hills presumably located in the border area of Kerala & Karnataka., to nab the fugitive Mayiladuparambil Joy. The last leg of their journey was on a dilapidated jeep along with a group of affable passengers through treacherous terrain which eventually leads them to a derelict bridge. But the moment they crossed it, their demeanor changes as they become brash, aggressive & hurl cuss words at the drop of the hat. Naturally this shocks Antony, Shajiyan & even the viewers alike. So why were all the inhabitants in that seemingly idyllic place behaving so differently???

LJP is one of the most sought after directors as his brand of movies have always been unique & captured the fancy of the movie buffs. But at the same time, it might not be to the liking of a significant number of people as his movie sensibility is quite unlike what we are usually used to. His latest celluloid creation "Churuli" is based on Vinoy Thomas's short story 'Kaligeminnarile Kuttavalikal' which was subsequently developed into a full fledged screenplay by S Hareesh. So to which genre does it belong to? Actually kind of hard to put a finger on it as LJP has crafted it in such a manner that it could be interpreted in different ways. I felt it as a mix of fantasy and sci-fi where the crux being that whoever enters into that zone is sucked into a time loop i.e. the events gets repeated which might be the reason why Shajivan looks familiar to others (or maybe he is possessed by the Perumadan). 

On the technical side, it was top notch be it Madhu Neelakandan's visuals that captures the calmness and mystery of the place, Sreerag Saji's haunting music & Renganaath Ravee's sound design. Vinay Fort was impressive in a meaty role that was presented to him, Geethi Sangeethan was fine (especially her initial voice over)  & the rest of the cast such as Chemban, Idukki Jaffer, Soubin etc did their parts aptly. 

Verdict: Essentially it is a wacky movie which is surely not everyone's cup of tea as some will love it while others will slam it. So where do I stand? I certainly loved the attention given to technical aspects & the mystery that LJP builds up, especially the fact it gives everyone to come up with their own interpretation (the question is what exactly did LJP think of?. However, I felt they went a bit overboard with the use of expletives (Im certainly not averse to it) & that hampered my viewing experience to a certain extent. In short, if you plan to watch it, don't forget your headphones!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

Kanakam Kaamini Kalaham review: "It isn't catchy, doesn't grip or have a graph. In effect, it is very weak!!!'

Even as "Kurup" hit the big screens on Friday, Nivin Pauly decided to stick on with the OTT platform & released his latest movie on Disney + Hotstar through his production house, Pauly Jr Pictures. Will the  two flicks be able to throw up a contest as evenly matched as the T20WC final between the Trans-Tasman rivals which gets underway in a couple of hours. Titled "Kanakam Kaamini Kalaham", the project is helmed by Ratheesh Balakrishnan & had captured the attention of the audience prior to its release courtesy of its entertaining trailer. The colour tone, attire & the overall feel in that preview reminded me of "The Grand Budapest Hotel" with a reference to "The Shining" as well. So will the surreal humour & satire comedy that it promised to deliver have the audience in splits???

Pavithran (Nivin Pauly) is a junior artist who doubles up as an acting guru at other times, though his credentials were such that he just had two students. His marital life was on rocky waters as his wife  Haripriya (Grace Antony), a former television artist was at her wit's end with his irresponsible nature. Hoping to bring calm into this turmoil, he gifts her with a pair of ear rings & decides to take her on a holiday to Munnar. But little did he realize that the so called yester year 'up scale' hotel that they checked into will multiply his troubles manifold. 

This is the second directorial venture of Ratheesh, after his impressive "Android Kunjappan v5.25" that was appreciated by one & all. Apart from calling the shots, he has penned the script that ought to have been packed with humour that should have had us holding our sides. The manner in which the credits were shown & the subsequent opening sequences also gave the impression of something interesting. Well that didnt quite happen at least for me as the only sequences that drew a chuckle from me was the one in which the bell boy, Manaf Khan recites the lines from a novel & for which Idukki Jaffer's character riles the novelist played by Joy Mathew. The stereotypical jokes about a minority community, a sexual assault (made to appear as humorous), the usual vomit situations etc., kind of made me wonder as to how the makers expected it to be funny. None of the technical aspects stood out & it felt like a drama rather than a full fledged movie. 

Among the numerous artists that lined up, Grace Antony was the best among the lot as she impresses with whatever best was offered to her character. As for the rest of the cast, Vinay Fort, Vincy & Rajesh Madhavan does manage to shine while the others including Nivin were pretty ordinary & at times, cringe worthy.

Verdict: To be frank, this came across as an unpleasant experience as I did have high expectations about it. Despite the presence of a talented cast, the lack lustered screenplay failed to do justice to their abilities. In short, it was weak...very weak!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Regards...Ben

Kurup review: "Engaging narrative pattern supported by an impressive crew & cast!!!"

Just like the lull before the storm which incidentally lasted much longer than any of us would have liked, the Malayalam film industry finally had its first major release since the theatres reopened to 50% capacity. The production house that decided to take the plunge was DQ's Wayfarer films as Srinath Rajendran's "Kurup" hit the screens y'day & the reception that it received in the leap up to its release was bombastic to say the least. I guess that would have also partly influenced Antony Perumbavoor to release "Marakkar" in theatres on Dec 2nd. Based on the infamous fugitive, Sukumara Kurup, "Kurup" has been in the news ever since this project began; for obvious reasons.  After all, it would be preposterous if that cold blooded murderer was shown in a glorified manner. So what kind of an approach did the makers adopt??? 

After an illustrious professional career, DSP Krishnadas (Indrajith Sukumaran) was getting retired & as his office was being cleaned up, his subordinate happens to find a journal titled 'Kurup'. Apparently, it was about the elusive criminal, Sudhakar Kurup who made a mockery of the law & judicial system for more than two decades. As the pages gets turned, we are introduced to the world of Gopi Krishna (Dulquer Salmaan), who didn't bat an eyelid before deceiving anyone to achieve his intentions. So how did he attain the name Kurup & manage to outsmart the police even after his accomplices were caught???

This is Srinath's third directorial venture which might come across as a surprise at least for a few since we usually remember him only for "Second Show" though he had also crafted "Koothara" subsequently in 2014. As part of this project, he collaborated with Jithin K Jose, K S Aravind & Daniel Sayooj Nair who has penned a script that is understandably a concoction of fact & fiction. Compared to "NH 47" & 'Pinneyum" also loosely based on Kurup, I felt the trio has done a better job. They take a significant amount of time in building the back story of the protagonist but at no instance do they try to justify his flawed character. However, due to DQ playing the lead role, subconsciously many might root for his character coz of his charm & pretty high likable quotient especially the portions where he repeatedly stays a step or two ahead of the police. 

The biggest positive of the movie is the non linear narrative employed by Srinath that keeps us engaged & guessing at numerous instances, whereby we might feel certain sequences to be incomplete but it is revisited later on from a different person's perspective. At the same time, I felt the screenplay was pretty average when it dealt with the investigative angle which had ample scope & ought to have been covered in much more detail as DySP Haridas & the force had invested years of effort into it. Unfortunately, I felt that that aspect was handled rather lazily & the subsequent fictional portion felt way too outlandish.

Technically, this was fantastic & the first name that needs to be praised is Vinesh Banglan & Manoj Arakkal for their production & art designs which captured the various periods authentically. Equally impressive was Sushin Shyam's BGM while Nimish Ravi's visuals and colour tone does justice to the overall mood. On the performance front, DQ has done a fine job as he was able to convey effectively the art of deception with his charm. But the one who absolutely rocked was Shine Tom as his body language, mannerisms & piercing looks does sent a chill down our spine. To his credit, we absolutely hate his character as he commits the crime with absolutely no remorse. Indrajith was fine though he deserved a much more better written role while the rest of the cast be it Shobita, Vijaykumar (as Ponnachan), Sunny Wayn, Bharath, Tovino etc did their parts aptly.

Verdict: In all probability, this will become the biggest blockbuster in DQ's career & a much needed relief that our box office desperately needed. On the whole, it was a well crafted movie with contributions from a talented cast & crew. Did they glorify the murderer? well certainly not for the horrific crime that he committed but when they go overboard towards the end; I felt they kinda did. Personally, I felt the investigation portion ought to have been covered much better as that was the portion that most of us were more interested in. Anywaz despite that, it is still an engaging watch & well worth a watch!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben 

Sooryavanshi review: "Just what the box office wanted, a money spinning masala entertainer!!!"

Even as the COVID numbers have gradually decreased over the last couple of weeks, there was still apprehension as to whether the theatres should be reopened & if so, to what capacity. Anyway almost all the states decided to go ahead but then the big question arose as to whether the public would flock back to the the cinema halls. Hence it was imperative that a multi starrer hugely hyped movie hit the screens to tempt the audience & the ideal choice that Bollywood had at their disposal was Rohit Shetty's "Sooryavanshi" which has been waiting for a theatrical release since March 2020. Despite the indefinite wait, the makers decided not to sell their celluloid creation to any OTT platforms & it turned out to be the right decision as it raked in the moolah. 

1993 Bombay blasts, a date that is etched in the memory of every Indian when the nation was rocked by a series of blasts across the financial capital. Kabir Shroff (Javed Jaffrey), the ATS Chief who had unraveled the case knew that Lashkar supremo Omar Shareef (Jackie Shroff) had carried out these attacks through his trusted lieutenant Bilal Ahmed (Kumud Mishra). However, even more worrisome was the fact that Omar had a sleeper cell of 40 terrorists across the nation & less than half the consignment of RDX was used for the 1993 attack . The ATS in the meantime under the venturesome DCP Veer Sooryavanshi (Akshay Kumar) kept a close watch on the operations of Lashkar. So will Sooryavanshi & Co. save the day for the nation & if so, at what cost???

Whenever we talk about bindaas masala entertainers, one of the first name that comes to mind is Rohit Shetty. His brand of action choreography is catered for the mass & he does know how to weave comedy into such situations. However, if you are looking for logic then you have definitely come to the wrong place & hence I am not going to harp on it as this is not packaged for that purpose. It's a no holds barred action extravaganza but I felt Rohit could have crafted the climax in a much more engaging goose bumps evoking manner since presently it felt like a damp squid after the early thrills. On the technical side, the DoP happened to be our Jomon T John & as always, he has done an impressive job while the other aspects were fine as well especially the "tip tip" track which was picturized and choreographed well.

It's been a while since we saw Akshay in his 'khiladi' avatar & he proved once again that age hasn't affected his agility as he was just scintillating in the action sequences. Even his comic timing was intact  & does manage to tickle the bone in a couple of sequences. With regard to the star cameos Ranveer Singh was utilized well while Ajay Devgn was comparatively wasted. As for the rest of the cast, Jackie, Kumud Javed & Katrina was ok while the rest were just for getting battered. 

Verdict: This is undoubtedly a paisa vasool entertainer & should march its way to be a blockbuster. So does it entertain? Well it's fun for sure & one is expected not to apply logic, but I felt it had scope for much more especially since it was a packaged as a mass entertainer & the climax definitely could have been far better,. In short, check it out!!!

Rating: 2.25/5

Regards...Ben

Dybbuk review: "Standard horror techniques in repeat mode but with a budget cut!!!"

A couple of weeks back, Prithvi featured in Ravi K Chandran's "Bhramam"; the remake of "Andhadhun". Apparently, last week Amazon Prime had another movie that had connections with Prithvi as Jay K decided to remake his own "Ezra" in Hindi as  "Dybbuk". Well for the uninitiated, dybbuk refers to an evil spirit that possesses an individual in pursuit of accomplishing its plans. So I presume this is more than ample proof to anyone interested that this belongs to the horror genre. The trailer was pretty average & didnt evoke any genuine interest, but I was curious to know as to whether Jay had reworked on the plot  since I found the basic thread interesting. 

The film unfolds with Sam Isaac (Emraan Hashmi), a top ranked executive in a nuclear waste disposal company planning to shift to Mauritius as part of his job. Though reluctantly, his wife Mahi (Nikita Dutta) also agrees to his decision despite having to leave behind her friends and family. Soon enough, both of them warms up to the life in the island until Mahi gets hold of a dybbuk box that she had procured from an antique shop. Was there a specific reason as to why the evil spirit chose to torment their lives especially since they had no connection to this alien island.

Jay K has faithfully decided to stick on with the original template that he had drafted & hence for an audience point of view there isnt anything that captivates us. This genre thrives on some arresting cinematography & unfortunately Satya Ponmar fails to match the caliber of Sujith Vaassudev. Even the visual effects wasn't as effective. There was scope for credible sub plots which should have been elaborated further & in turn would have resulted in a much more engaging horror flick rather than watching standard gimmicks. However, this was a crisper version and that was a sensible move though the plot as such fails to do justice to our curiosity. 

On the performance front, Hashmi has done such kind of movies far too many times in his career & therefore he ends up sleep walking through it. Nikita was average despite the fact that she had to just keep a blank stare. As for the rest of the cast, Manav Kaul was wasted, Denzil Smith & Yuri Suri were apt choices for their roles while Imaad Shah and Darshana Banik was ok. 

Verdict: If one has watched "Ezra", then there is hardly anything in its remake that would interest us. Has he messed up the original (which I felt was decent)? I dont think so, but if Jay K had no plans of working on the pitfalls that he faced earlier, then it made no sense as to why he even made this. In short, an average venture!!!

Rating: 1.75/5

Regards...Ben

Annaatthe review: "Siva's archaic story telling will earn no paasam from fans but only pachatheri, inevitably!!!

Whenever a festival season comes across, all of us eagerly look forward to some big banner releases & it was even more evident this year as we have been eagerly waiting for the theatres to open up. It has finally did & what better way to celebrate Diwali than Siva's "Annaatthe" that features our one & only Superstar, 'Thalaiva' Rajinikanth. A couple of hours from now, the Men in Blue will take on the Scots & hope to win it with a sizable margin to keep their WC dream alive. So will "Annaatthe" rake in similar humongous numbers at the box office for Kalanithi Maran? Hmm...it remains to be seen as the trailer was pretty mediocre & the sequences looked like a mishmash of "Petta", "KGF2", "Padayappa" etc. 

Annatthe (Rajini) is the village president who is an epitome of goodness & virtue for whom his sister's happiness (Keerthy Suresh as Thanga Meenakshi) meant the world to him. The siblings seemed inseparable but destiny had other plans as it took them to an alien land & left them to the mercy of some dreaded gangsters. 

Well there isn't much to write about the storyline penned by Siva (along with Savari Muthu, Antony Bhagyaraj, & Chandran Pachaimuthu) & that is exactly the biggest flaw with this movie. After a series of flicks (all beginning with 'V') with Thala, Siva decided to collaborate with Thalaiva & created a venture that would undoubtedly rate as one of the latter's most mediocre ones. It has taken on the subject of brother-sister relationship that has been explored innumerable number of times but where he falters miserably is the inability to provide a fresh perspective to it & picturize it in an engaging manner. The whole movie felt so outdated be it the tale it conveyed or many of the sequences  performed in artificial sets (as in "Darbar") giving it a 80s & 90s feel.  None of the technical aspects particularly caught my attention except for D Imman's music though the BGM was a pain to the ears.

Despite handicapped with a pathetic script, Thalaiva does his best to carry the movie on his shoulders with his unmatched charm, agility and screen presence. None of the other artists had a credible role to play including Keerthy Suresh who was supposed to have an equal footing as Rajini as per the thread. Nayanthara was fine even though she was merely in it as a translator, Soori was bearable while the others like Khushbu, Meena, Prakash Raj etc. were wasted. 

Verdict: Surely a massive disappointment especially since it was a flick that most of us were eagerly looking forward to. What is expected in a Thalaiva movie is a celebration of his style and understandably most of us dont look for logic. However, it should have an entertainment value like "Petta" to cash in on the Superstar's charisma. But Siva failed miserably & barely manages to eject an ounce of unbridled entertainment. In short, a huge letdown!!!

Rating: 1.5/5

Regards...Ben

Jai Bhim review: "Hard hitting drama that lingers on even after the movie concludes!!!

On the eve of Diwali, the Men in Blue finally gave us something to smile about this WC as they marched their way to a commanding win over the Afghans. However, the hope for a semi final spot is still a realistically improbable dream though it was heartening to see our boys break the shackles after the misery Pakistan & Kiwis piled on them. Incidentally, 'shackles' reminds me of T J Jnanavel's latest venture "Jai Bhim" which tells us about the lives of low caste communities whose existence is shackled and dependent on the whims & fancies of the people higher up in the social strata. It was the primary aspect that Dr. B R Ambedkar tried to ensure would not happen in Independent India & fought for it relentlessly. That fight is still going on & for that the path shown by that great patriot is the only way forward, but surprisingly his name hardly features in the forefront in discussions. The trailer was pretty intense & hopefully Suriya's production house '2D Entertainment' has hit the jackpot unlike their previous venture "Udanpirappe" which I found rather dull.

Set in 1993, Rajakannu (K Manikandan) & Sengeni (Lijomol Jose) belonged to the Irular tribal community that had consistently faced atrocities from the authorities. Despite the hardships, the couple led a contented life with the meager salary that they earned from the odd jobs that they did. But life took a harsh turn when Rajakannu was framed & arrested for a theft. Subsequently what folded was a tale of extreme police brutality from which there seemed to be no return for him and his relatives. The situation turned murkier when the police reported that the trio had absconded. It was at this juncture that Sengeni with the help of a social activist, Maithreya (Rajisha Vijayan) was advised to reach out to the advocate Chandru (Suriya) who fought for the rights of the poor and the down trodden.

This is Jnanavel's second directorial venture which he had scripted as well, after "Kootathil Oruvan" (which I haven't watched). Based on a real life incident that took place in Vriddhachalam, it is about the battle that Justice K Chandru fought when he was a lawyer. Retired from the Madras High Court, he is  is a doyen in the legal circle having pronounced a whooping 96k cases over the course of his tenure. Jnanavel has given us a hard hitting drama which I felt is the most raw and brutal movie since Vettrimaaran's "Visaranai". It stays true to the subject without resorting to star worship & focuses on the harrowing experience of Sengeni & Rajakannu, with Chandru doing the utmost from his end to provide justice through his acumen & observation rather than brawn. In order to cater to a wider audience, cinematic liberties are inevitable but Jnanavel made sure that it is kept on check. Though I felt that should have been applied in the form of a formidable opponent lawyer since the court room scenes didnt have as much impact as was expected due to that very reason. 

Kudos to the technical team be it the colour tones & lighting that S R Kathir had used, Sean Roldan's BGM that wasnt intrusive or overpowering & Philomin Raj's seamless editing that was spot on as it ensured that though the movie was close to 2 h 45 mins, it kept us engaged. Hats off to the makeup team as well for the work they had done on the bruised Manikandan & Lijomol. In the performance dept, it was pleasant surprise to see Lijomol given such a meaty role & she blew us away with a fantastic performance. Suriya deserves praise for his impactful portrayal of Chandru & even more importantly, for his smart choice of scripts. Equally impressive was Manikandan who might not have had as many dialogues to mouth but manages to convince us effectively the torture & pain that his character goes for. Both Rajisha & Prakash Raj were fine though they didn't have a challenging role as such while the rest of the cast including the three accused policemen (especially the one as SI Gurumurthy) have all down justice to their parts. 

Verdict: Both the cast & crew have done a fantastic movie which deserves to be watched. It's a tale that is still relevant to our times as evident from various news articles that we come across about the hardships that the poor & oppressed face in their pursuit for justice. Even though it reminds us of "Visaranai" in some sequences, this still has a soul of its own & hence definitely check it out!!!

Rating: 4/5

Regards...Ben